The Quest For Balance: Book I Handmaiden's Quest
by kateydidnt
Summary: TPM AU. What happens when halfway through TPM a drastic change is made? One handmaiden decides that she will take control of the situation, but will that make things better or worse?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: New Beginnings**

The people of Theed could not have asked for a more perfect day, or a more perfect place in the galaxy for the crowning of their new queen. This day marked an end to the uncertainty and distrust that had marred the idyllic world's politics ever since Veruna abdicated his throne. Some were skeptical that a fourteen- year-old girl could handle the pressures of office; others worried that she might become little more than a pawn in someone else's larger game. Most however were willing to hope that this fresh youthful face would mean an equally fresh start for the planet.

Queen Amidala's landslide win was seen as a good omen and her acceptance of her opponent Sio Bibble as an advisor buoyed the people's expectations and so on the morning of the coronation, spirits were high. A thrill of excitement passed through the crowd as the appointed time approached and a spontaneous cheer erupted when the Queen stepped out onto the portico.

For the first time their new queen stood before them in her full royal regalia. She was a sight to behold; stunning in both beauty and manner. The royal wardrobe designers had been a bit miffed when she had expressed her desires for her coronation gown. The traditional color for the coronation was pale blue, but she had been insistent in her choice. She wore a gown of a silky cloth with a bust as dark as midnight that gradually lightened as it flowed downward until it was the traditional coronation color at the lower hem. Silver embroidered thread accented the neck, waist and bottom edge of the dress with a delicate design derived from the symbol of the Royal House of Naboo. Her make-up, the royal mask, was just as carefully chosen for its symbolism as the dress she wore. Her rich thick chestnut hair lay in ringlets down her back. As she stood proudly before them they cheered wildly. She allowed them to express their joy for a moment but then took a step forward, distancing herself from her security team and held a hand up both in greeting and as a signal for silence.

"My people," she began.

A roar of approval drowned out her next words. She paused, a bit startled and embarrassed and then relaxed into a smile. She let them cheer for a moment then raised her hand again.

When the crowd had calmed she started once more, "My people, we have experienced turmoil and uncertainty but we have emerged stronger. We have looked into the dark mirror and seen an unpleasant reflection but instead of turning away from that image, we have decided to change it. And we have changed it, for the better! We must not be afraid to look at what has happened where we failed…."

Many in the crowd heard her compassion and determination; others heard her hope and faith. Some were not listening to her words, not paying attention when she mentioned the legislative changes which would ensure Veruna's corruption could not happen again; some didn't understand all the implications of what she said, but all of them understood her strength and her love for the people. And they loved her in return for it.

Her voice rose and even those who had not paid attention to the details of her political plans listened to her again.

"There is an old proverb from the village of my birth, _the purest gold goes through the hottest fire_. Let this have been our fire!" She let the last word ring through the square. A spell of silence held the crowd and her next words came softly, but just as forcefully, "Let us go forward renewed in our vigilance to stay true to our values. Let freedom never be corrupted by greed." The queen's voice was gradually gaining volume and as it rose so did the excitement of the crowd, "Let us never fall into the subtle and deceitful trap of complacency wherein we are made slaves. You have entrusted me with more than a political office, you have entrusted me with your futures, and your dreams and it is both an honor and a burden, but I will not fail this people. I will not allow the sacred trust between you and this office to be broken again. I serve you my people and nothing else. Not wealth, not power, not institutions, I am iyour/i Queen and everything I do will be for you."

The crowd burst into screams of approval and thunderous applause. Her rhetoric had stirred them up, but more than that they sensed her honesty and her true willingness to serve. They did, despite Veruna's black mark, trust her.

And yet, some watching her were not so joyous. Standing right at the front of the crowd were two people holding each other tightly, not stopping the tears running down their faces. Their baby, their youngest daughter was now living a life completely separate from her parents. They had no doubt that she would serve faithfully as monarch, but they also knew the sacrifices she had made to come this far. They had supported her in her choices, entering the Civil Service Corps and the Youth Legislature, but they had watched broken hearted as the most treasured years of her childhood fell by the wayside. She had completely immersed herself in her lessons and political debates. They never spoke of these things to her, but they almost mourned for the fourteen-year-old mature woman who now stood before them.

Beside Ruwee and Jobal stood Sola, the queen's older sister, wondering if she would ever again be able to boss her little sister around. It was nearly incomprehensible: her little sister, the brat who had begged her to read stories, was now her Queen.

Former friends who had been in the Youth Legislature marveled at how far she had gone. Some had decided to leave their civil service track and pursue other careers. Others had remained in the system and were just now entering government positions, but none had achieved so much in so short a time as Padmé Amidala.

In small alleys and darkened rooms that positively screamed "clandestine" the less legitimate businessmen gathered, scowling at the promises of the queen to crack down on their business interests. Of course every politician promised the same things but most never made an effort to halt the small but thriving black market that mostly traded the unique plasma mined on Naboo. Veruna had gotten involved in their market, earning sums on the side and though it was just a part of his corruption he had posed a danger to them all when he was forced out of office. This new queen though was a young idealist and they feared her zealous ambitions. Watching the legislative changes that had taken place even before her coronation warned them of further changes to come. Quietly then they expanded their business practices to carting more products and making themselves indispensable in certain areas, even going to far as insuring that they had appropriate contacts should they need to leave the planet.

From a window along the side of the street a man watched the proceedings with a polite smile on his face. Veruna had been useful to him, but the man had been too reckless. Now his plans would be set back a few months. No matter though, this new queen would be his pawn just like all the others. She was young and naïve, posing no problem to him. She would suit his purposes just fine.

And at the far back of the crowd a teenage girl stood watching the proceedings with a very troubled look on her face. This did not bode well, not well at all.

00

Towards sunset, after the majority of the public festivities were over and most people had returned to their homes or gone to tapcafes to continue their celebrations, a light knock came to a door on the outskirts of Theed.

An Amaran opened the door and quickly ushered his guest inside. "I understand that you have need of some of my services," he spoke nervously, flicking his tail sporadically.

"Can you do it?"

"Well… well, I certainly _can_…"

"Would it stand up to government scrutiny?"

"That depends…"

"On what?" a note of impatience entered the customer's voice.

"On how much you are willing to pay of course. My slicers are the best and can insert and erase the right data, but it simply depends on your ability to pay."

"I want it foolproof. I want it believable."

"Yes, yes of course, my work has stood up to the best security protocols on Naboo. But will cost you…."

"How much?" The impatience was no longer veiled.

The Amaran smiled the negotiations were at just the right point now, he was about to name his price when the customer's hand shifted and brought something out of a cloak pocket.

"Will this cover the costs?"

The vulpine business man's eyes widened considerably. Light flickered off the sapphire gem temptingly. He sucked in his breath and picked it up feeling it for flaws, examining it to make sure it was genuine.

It was.

"Yes, yes, this will do…this will do very nicely." He was breathing hard with greedy excitement now. He knew of many who would offer spectacular sums for this item.

The customer plucked it right out of his hand and placed it back among the folds of the cloak. "And you shall have it when I get what I want."

The Amaran looked as though he were itching to hold the gem again. He nodded quickly, "In the morning, come back in the morning and you shall have it."

oo

Amidala looked over the city from her new home. The Royal Palace. She had never dreamed she would become queen at such a young age, and even now that she was here it all seemed surreal. Had that really been her standing there in front of the crowd? Sighing, she briefly rested her forehead against the cool transparisteel of the window. She needed to get to sleep; she had a busy day tomorrow. Her Chief of Security Captain Panaka had mentioned needing her to interview the best candidates for her Royal Handmaidens, Sio Bibble, newly established governor of Naboo, had scheduled three hours of her time for serious discussion on the black market problem and the latest updates on the Trade Federation. To make matters worse the wardrobe designers needed to take more measurements. All of this was supposed to take place before lunch, after which she had a holo-meeting with the governors of the other colonies that were technically under the Naboo Monarchy. Traditionally those planetoid colonies were autonomous but she had a certain amount of symbolic authority over them and an obligation to pass their concerns on to Senator Palpatine who represented them all in the Senate. Then she had a holo-meeting with the Senator himself. He had attended the coronation that morning but left immediately after to return to Coruscant, stopping only to congratulate her and ask for some time the next day.

She turned away from the window and looked to the enormous bed in the royal chambers. She shook her head at the opulence of the room given to her, remembering the cramped dormitories where she had practically grown up. Sitting down on the bed she thought of the room in her parents' house that she infrequently slept in, but quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she slipped her shoes off and laid down to go to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Shifting Perceptions**

Jedi were usually not prone to brooding, but Master Dooku was not a typical Jedi. He had always been somewhat of a maverick, but it had become increasingly clear to him recently that they had vastly different ideas about the future of the Order. He could feel the rottenness at the core of the Republic. He _knew_ that within a few years it would collapse under the weight of corruption and the Jedi would go along with it. Darkness was creeping in and it scared him. It was powerful—he was increasingly convinced that the Dark Side was more powerful than the Light Side. It was going to envelop him and he could not stop it. Had no _wish_ to stop it, for he could not see any future in which the Light Side prevailed. If the galaxy was going to be lost to darkness, he _certainly_ wasn't going to be on the losing side. The Jedi were too blind; any action they took would be too little, too late.

"Master Dooku," the Padawan messenger spoke, bringing him out of his stupor, "the Council will see you now."

The tall master stood and walked towards the open door. _Can I really be doing this? _He asked himself. _I am a Jedi, I always have been. Can I _really_ do this?_ And now he was standing in the middle of the circle. Here sat twelve of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. They were supposed to be wise. How then could they be such fools at times?

"Masters," he said, his voice sounding overloud to his own ears. He licked his lips, "I have come before you today after long and careful meditation." This had been a long time coming. "I have been denied a seat on this august body for many years due to my sometimes controversial ideas and positions." No one moved to disagree. He smiled inwardly. "I have found myself increasingly dissatisfied with the clashes of ideology we have had and have decided to make an end of them. I hereby resign my rank of Jedi Master and from the Jedi Order." Gasps echoed in the chamber—but not from everyone. It seemed more than one had suspected this eventuality.

He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and strode to the smallest being on the council. He held his lightsaber outstretched in his hand towards Yoda.

Yoda made no move to accept it but spoke instead, "Grieved I am to hear this." He opened his mouth to say more but Dooku promptly dropped the item in his lap and left the room.

"And so," Ki-Adi-Mundi said in a pained voice, "the Lost Nineteen become the Lost Twenty."

* * *

The news filtered through the temple quickly. For all they were considered a quasi-religious order, the Jedi were the worst gossips. The lost nineteen—the only Jedi Masters to willingly resign their titles and leave the order—were now numbered at twenty. Jedi Master Yan Dooku, who had long been a contentious presence before the Council, was leaving the order.

Some thought that his last mission to Galidraan had been the catalyst, but others saw this as having started long before. Some claimed that they had seen it coming, but most were stunned. The idea that someone would leave their home—the only home they remembered—was incomprehensible to the majority of the Jedi. To leave their duty as Jedi—to end the service to the Republic that so defined their lives was looked on as irresponsible at best. Everyone had an opinion, though none were so bold or so rude to express it to Dooku's face.

One, however, intended to do just that. Qui-Gon Jinn strode purposefully to the rooms inhabited by his former master and mentor. Mace Windu had taken Qui-Gon aside immediately after Dooku's pronouncement and informed him of the development rather then let him find out from someone else.

Dooku's door stood open and more than one curious Padawan seemed to be walking past at an unusually slow pace, craning their necks to see what they could. Qui-Gon ignored them and marched in without knocking. Dooku, whose back was turned, sighed, knowing exactly who had just walked in.

Qui-Gon didn't even wait to exchange pleasantries he just folded his arms across his chest and said, "Why?" to the Master's back.

Dooku closed his eyes, he had not been looking forward to this confrontation and he didn't exactly relish the idea of telling his former student his worries and concerns for the future.

"You know I am not exactly considered a model Master. I've had too many clashes with the Council—I just can't continue like this." He finally turned to face his guest.

Qui-Gon gave an undignified snort, "You aren't the only Master considered a maverick and given 'tolerance' but rarely truly listened to."

The older man gave a bitter laugh, "You and I are so different, I often wondered why it was that we were so drawn together—but in our own ways we are both unorthodox. But I don't have your patience—or your optimism," Dooku continued wearily, "something is coming, a darkness that will devour the Jedi. If they refuse to see it, I will have no part of them, and I wash my hands of their fate."

Qui-Gon had no answer for that—he had no doubt that Dooku really _did_ sense a darkness in the future. Qui-Gon himself had raised warnings in the past of a lurking threat that seemed to be growing. His warnings had been given little credence, and he really only half believed it himself as it was so elusive and nebulous. He didn't think it came from any one source or person, but rather that it was a symptom of life spread across a galaxy as there had been no major shift in the balance of the Force.

The two gazed at each other in silence for a long while until Dooku finally spoke again, "You should come with me. You are just as underappreciated and misunderstood as I have been. You could be so much more without the constraints of tradition and the Code. Come with me."

Qui-Gon blinked, truly startled at the offer, but quickly shook his head, "No, this is my place. I am a Jedi and I will remain a Jedi all the days of my life."

Dooku gave him a small smile, "Then may your days be long. If ever you change your mind, find me."

"I will not Master, but thank you all the same." Qui-Gon turned to leave, knowing there was nothing more he could do to convince him otherwise.

"Wait," Dooku said, moving to pick up a small box that he then handed to Qui-Gon. The younger man blinked and peered into the box. There he saw a handful of items that he had, at one time or another, gifted to his Master. "I thought you might like to have these back," Dooku said by way of explanation.

Qui-Gon thought for a moment then reached into the box and retrieved one item, "Keep this—I cannot go with you but this part of me may." He thrust his hand to his master returning it.

Dooku hesitated for a moment and then accepted it back.

It was Qui-Gon's Padawan braid that Dooku had cut off his head when he became a Knight decades before. It was long and had beads of dark green and brown worked into it at various points—each had been added when the student had successfully completed some marker in his training. One end was held fast by a small clip and the other a frayed brown ribbon that had once been a part of an old cloak. Dooku gave a brief, happy smile as his thumb lightly rubbed one of the beads, "Thank you," was all he said.

It didn't feel quite right to just turn around and leave now so after a short pause, in which Dooku reverently placed the braid in the items he was taking with him, Qui-Gon spoke again, "Where will you go? What will you do?"

Dooku laughed, "Don't worry—I won't become a burden on the Republic, nor will I even ask for the famed Jedi Services Compensation." Qui-Gon smiled at the reference to the long-standing joke that was supposed to be a safety net for Jedi who retired. At its conception it had offered a pitifully low stipend for someone who had given a lifetime of service (justified of course by the fact that Jedi lived off taxes and Republic monies), and no one had bothered to adjust the amount for inflation in several hundred years. It was said that the compensation now amounted to enough credits to buy a loaf of bread.

"I will be returning to my homeworld of Sereno and taking up my hereditary title as Count of Sereno. I have been much in touch with my aunt—currently the Regent of Sereno—in the past few years. I recently communicated to her my desire to return and she has been in contact with the lawyers to facilitate my claim."

Qui-Gon nodded, holding back a wince at the memory of his former Padawan, Xanatos, who had also left the Jedi and claimed his hereditary fortune. It was not a true parallel, of course, as Dooku was leaving for completely different reasons.

"Good-bye Master, I wish you all the best," Qui-Gon said, pushing back the ominous memory.

"Good-bye Padawan."

* * *

Yoda sat in meditation, seeking answers and understanding to the question of why his former Padawan had made such a decision. Though Yoda often participated in the training of the younglings, Dooku had been the last student he had trained personally.

This marked the first time that one of his own former Padawans joined the Lost. He'd had two Padwans leave the Jedi before Knighthood—one who had fallen to the dark side and one who had been unable to continue her training after a particularly traumatic mission. Two in all his centuries. Now Dooku, a full Master, was leaving.

He had been young—only 150 years old—when his second Padawan had turned to the Dark Side. In his pride he had blamed himself and spent years obsessing over it and overcompensating with his next Padawan. Luckily, he had eventually come to see that while he was not a perfect Master, it had far more to do with his Padawan's choices than anything the Master had done. But that did not stop him now from deeply analyzing himself, what he knew of his former Padawan and what he felt in the Force.

He had spent many hours in meditation since Dooku's audience. The alarm signaling dinner had long since rung when he moved from his meditation.

There had been few answers that he had found, but he had accepted that Dooku was probably better off leaving if he was truly as discontent as he said. While being a Jedi wasn't exactly supposed to be easy it wasn't supposed to be an onerous burden either.

He did not join Dooku in his doom saying of the future, he knew there was a darkness that had lingered for centuries and would probably always be there. Even without the Sith there were still Dark Jedi. The galaxy and her peoples were far too varied and contentious to believe that the taint of darkness—of hatred and greed and selfishness—would ever be gone. What Yoda dreaded might be the case was that the darkness Dooku was sensing and feared was a growing darkness in Dooku himself, rather than in the galaxy.

But in his meditation he _had_ sensed something. Unlike Dooku though he had a greater understanding of what was coming—it was not darkness, it was _possible_ darkness. They were coming to a Nexus in the Force. He had never felt one in his long life, but he remembered descriptions of one from the Masters who had taught him in his youth. A Nexus was the shatter point of balance. The last one had heralded the Battle of Ruusan.

They were coming to a Nexus soon—one where darkness and light would converge and there was no way to accurately predict what the ultimate outcome would be. Would he have felt this if not prompted by Dooku's actions?

Possibly not.

* * *

Yan Dooku walked through the quiet Temple carrying what he had decided to take with him. The rest of his belongings he had left in his room, knowing that in the next few days they would be cleaned out and what was worth keeping would be redistributed to other Jedi. It was late now and he had purposefully waited until most would not be about to witness his departure. After Qui-Gon had visited a few others of his friends had stopped in and asked the same thing as his former apprentice. But he had not given them as long or as complete an answer as he had given Qui-Gon. He knew they would not be anywhere as receptive to what he was saying as Qui-Gon had been and he had no wish to spend the last few hours in the only home he remembered engaged in fruitless debate.

He moved slowly and had made more than one detour to visit some favorite spot or well remembered place. It was harder than he thought—leaving the Jedi, leaving the Temple. He knew what he was leaving and already he was anticipating missing some of it, but now for the first time he wondered what exactly he was going _towards_. He had been very young when he had first come to the Temple and he only had vague memories of his birth family and his parents had both been dead for more than two decades now.

There was a subtle nudge from the force and he stilled, just meters away from the Temple entrance. A sad smile graced his face and he spoke to the shadows, "I should have known."

A small figure emerged from the darkness and nodded to him. "Yes. Let you leave, I will not, without a proper good-bye," Yoda said as he walked towards Dooku.

Dooku waited in silence for Yoda to come close and spontaneously, he knelt as a sign of respect—bringing him down to the same level of the old Master.

"Miss you, I will. Sorry I am that you feel you must leave. Wish I do that you were not."

Dooku sighed, tired now of hearing arguments and he opened his mouth about to reply.

Yoda noticed this and poked him with his gimmer stick. "Listen you will, heard your answer before I have."

Dooku closed his mouth and steeled himself for one last lecture from his old master. But what Yoda said surprised him.

"Hope you find what you are seeking I do. Know I do how difficult this choice is for you. Peace I wish you and comfort in the wide galaxy."

Dooku's mouth worked in silence for a second as he tried to overcome the emotions he was feeling from Yoda through the Force. He finally just whispered, "Thank you."

Funny, how Qui-Gon and Yoda had been the only ones to wish him well.

Yoda held up his hand and in it sat a candle. A small nudge with the Force and the wick was lit. "Welcome here you will always be. Should you decide to come back, support you I will." He passed the candle to Dooku.

Dooku knew what Yoda meant. When a Jedi wanted to return he had to be sponsored by a Master in good standing who would vouch for him and serve as a guide in readjusting to life as a Jedi. For Yoda to volunteer even now was one of the most clear manifestations of Yoda's love that he had ever seen. His hand trembled as he reached out to take the candle.

But Yoda let go before Dooku had fully grasped the wax ball and it fell towards the floor. But before it could it halted in midair, righted itself and gently floated into Dooku's hand. Yoda regarded Dooku solemnly and then said in a near whisper, "Never forget the light my Padawan. If you fall, catch you I will."

Then with a speed that belied the need for his stick the Master left the entry way.

Stunned, Dooku remained kneeling for a few more minutes, staring at the flame of the candle. When he finally rose and continued his path to the door it was with drooping shoulders—no longer so confident in his convictions. Oh, he knew he had to leave, but he was no longer so convinced of the foolishness of the Council—or at least Yoda. The Master had seen him so clearly and yet had still extended such a gift.

The flame shuddered in the breeze as the doors closed behind him and then entirely went out as a gust of wind from the night extinguished it as he left the Temple grounds.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

She was used to getting up early in the morning, she was even used to running on very little sleep. What she wasn't used to was how quiet and monotonous her new job was. In the early morning light the dew on the flowers and trees shimmered but there was a stillness all around that nearly unsettled her. She was accustomed to being around lots of people or when she was alone there was usually the mechanical hum of an engine of one sort or another.

She sighed and shook her self. She was getting too distracted and would never finish her assignment if she kept letting her thoughts wander. Her expression determined, she attacked the weeds in the flowerbed.

She made good progress for a few hours and the stillness lifted as birds and insects woke up all around. She had hit a rhythm which made the work easier.

Not that this work would ever be described as _hard_. She frowned to herself—she was still looking for a different job right now. But she would stick with this one until she found something else. It had been hard enough to find this park services position; it had taken her a month. Given that this was Theed and that there never seemed to be a shortage of jobs it was surprising. Of course, her expression changed to a scowl, the problem wasn't that there weren't any job openings but that most businesses, despite proclaiming to be open-minded and willing to accept any qualified applicant, were reluctant to hire her, even though she had her education certificate _and_ her emancipation papers, because she was only sixteen.

When the private businesses had turned her away she had decided to take a government job. Surely a planet with a fourteen year old queen would accept someone her age into a job? But no, the government only seemed interested in hiring people her age if they had been educated through the youth legislature system. She had never thought she'd be rejected for a job because she had been educated at the Royal Academy of Alderaan rather than on her home planet of Naboo.

She realized that she had slowed in her work and so she pushed her reminiscing aside to finish her assigned flower beds before she returned to the park services headquarters and joined one of her fellow employees in checking the fence that separated the Royal Forest of Naboo from the flat lands to the north.

Sometimes she wished she were still in school, that she had never made the trip back to Naboo…. She missed her family and would have given anything for her brother to be around, but she had learned many years ago that dreaming of what couldn't be only brought disappointment. They were gone and all she could do was make a life here and now.

Reapplying herself to the beds with vigor, she concentrated only on what her hands were doing.

Hours later, with the sun now high over head, she loaded her tools into the basket on the back of her park service speeder bike and hopped on to fly back to headquarters. Despite how boring the other aspects of the job were, she did enjoy the fifteen or twenty minutes of flying she did to get to and from her assigned areas. Strangely enough, she had never been a huge fan of flying before—that had been left to other members of her family—but, while she would probably never be as good a pilot as her father, she finally understood some of his fascination with flying.

She turned to the right and took her usual shortcut down the slope that formed part of the western edge of the waterfall. At the base of the slope was an area of barren ground that led to the rock garden. She enjoyed weaving around the rock formations on her way to the blue stone bridge that was only a short distance from the park services building.

The slope started out gentle but as it got closer to the waterfall it became more steep and rocky. Most days she kept away from the waterfall and took the gentler hill. Today she was feeling a little more daring so she took the steeper path with her speeder. It wasn't until she had already started down the slope that she saw people below at the base of the waterfall and in the rock garden.

_Stang! _she thought to herself. She had been warned not go her usual path back to the park services building today. Something about security training. But she had forgotten in the intervening hours. She cut the steering sharply to the left to turn and go back up the slope before anyone noticed her.

That's when she heard the familiar whine of a robot drone. She groaned and looked around to see a droid coming at her from the direction of the falls, with a blaster aimed at her. She ducked instinctively and floored her accelerator. The speeder lurched and she fishtailed before she got the bike back under control and headed up the hill again.

_I hope this training exercise is using only stun blasts,_ She thought as she crested the top of the hill. She could still hear the droid behind her but she didn't look this time as she urged her bike away from the area.

She turned to avoid a copse of trees and winced as she saw a blast impact against a trunk. But it didn't leave a burn mark so she knew at least that the blaster was set to stun. Taking a chance she dodged into the trees and slowed down enough to maneuver. She hoped that droid would not be able to react as fast as she could in the confines of the woods.

She dodged between the trees until she felt she was well enough away from the waterfall and couldn't hear the droid anymore. Slowing to a stop she halted and looked carefully around her. She could barely hear the waterfall now and there didn't seem to be anyone or anything else around her. Satisfied that she had gotten away from the drone she started her motor up again and turned north. There was a service path not too far from here that would take her the long way around back to headquarters.

It was only when she cleared the trees that she realized that she had turned the wrong way and ended up on the south edge of the trees only a hundred meters or so from where she had entered them.

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the drones down the slope. There were still people at the base of the falls but they all seemed to be gathered together now. Perhaps the exercise was over now. She considered her options. She could turn around and go back through the woods, but she was already late and taking the service path would be a good half hour. Or she could take the western slope and cut through the trees on the far side and cross the river on her speeder. But going that way was risking being seen.

She sighed, she needed to get back to the park station as soon as possible because she still had to join another ranger in checking the fence. Her partner was probably waiting impatiently even now.

She decided to take the western slope. Easing down the hill, she kept an eye out for the people near the waterfall.

She was half way down when she heard the whine of the drone once again. She looked up startled—it hadn't come from the area near the waterfall, it had come from the north, the trees she had just come from. She growled in frustration, this was probably the same droid that had followed her before.

Now she was stuck. No matter what se did next she would be noticed by the security training team and most likely lose her job if the trainer was feeling vindictive or was particularly high place.

Well, she wasn't going to let a droid get the best of her if there was no way out of being noticed now. She turned east towards the waterfall.

It was only a matter of moments before she was noticed. She covered the ground quickly and they could evidently hear the sound of her motor over the engine and _she_ could still hear the droid behind her.

It didn't seem to be shooting at her though. That was a little strange. Well, perhaps all the weapons had been deactivated when the exercise ended.

A serious looking dark skinned man motioned at her to stop as he walked towards her, hand on a blaster that, no doubt, was _not_ set on stun. With her motor off she could hear the droid behind her more clearly. Just as the man approached her she heard the droid's weapon charge. She looked around behind her and yelped, diving off her bike, as a blast came towards her. It hit the rear fender of her bike.

If that had done any damage it would probably come from her pay. The man stopped short and his eyes widened as he saw the drone was still active. He shouted for her to stay down as he drew his blaster and shot at the thing.

She stayed down but watched with a sinking feeling as the man's shot glanced off one arm of the droid, sending it spinning towards her. She scrambled to her feet and dodged away from the droid.

It hesitated for a second, seeming unsure which of them it should target, but then flew towards the man. He backed up a few steps and shot again, this time taking out the droid's repulsolift.

_Well, at least it can't fly anymore. Even if it _has_ gone insane._ She mused to herself.

The droid sank dropped to the ground powered down. The man, satisfied that it was not going to attack anymore, turned to stare at her now. She felt herself blush as she stood from her crouched position.

The man had lowered his blaster but hadn't reholstered it. He scrutinized her carefully before he asked, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"I'm sorry sir, my name is Aldé Tonderra. I forgot we were told to stay out of this area today."

He nodded that he had heard but held out one hand, "Can I see your identification please?"

She nodded quickly and dug a hand into her pants pocket. It was just her luck that today she wasn't wearing the park services uniform. They weren't required to wear it every day though it was mandated on days when there were park tours. She handed him her ID and stood uncertainly as he examined it.

"Well, please remember next time to stay out of an area when there is a training exercise going on."

"Yes, sir" She said quickly. Maybe she _wasn't_ going to lose her job today. That is if her supervisor didn't have a fit over the speeder being returned late.

He turned away from her, replacing his blaster at his waist and walked back towards the training group. She straddled her bike again and was about to start it up when she heard the movement near her feet. She looked around and saw, to her astonishment, that the droid seemed to have powered up somehow.

"Sir!" she yelled jumping off the bike. He spun back around as she aimed a kick at the blaster the droid was raising.

Unfortunately, the weapon was welded to its hand. The shot went wild though. She quickly circled around the droid warily as the man hurried back over with his own weapon once again in his hand. The droid was aiming again (though it seemed to be having some trouble with its hand-eye coordination) and the man wasn't close enough to hit the droid as it was behind her bike tire. Looking around as she moved she spotted a large rock, about the size of a joobafruit. Hefting it in one hand, she tossed it at the head of the droid. The rock left a large dent between the droid's eyes and which seemed to further damage its ability to aim.

The man was close enough by then that he shot the droid. With a screech of metal the drone's weapon erupted into flames. Both Alde and the man stared in astonishment at it before Aldé came to her senses as a park service employee and started stomping on the weapon to put them out.

When the flames were out and the droid looked well and truly dead this time she looked at the man. He was regarding the droid with a very suspicious look. He turned his head to look back at the crowd of people who were now seated on the rocks lining the edge of the waterfall watching them.

"Second one today." He muttered to himself. Then he looked once again at Aldé. "Sorry, miss, about this droid. I don't know what the malfunction is. It isn't the only one today that didn't respond to the remote deactivation. I apologize that it tried to harm you."

She gave a little shrug, "It would only sting a little anyway."

He had been about to leave her again but her statement brought him up short. "How do you know it was set to low power stun?"

She blinked and stammered a little, not because she was unsure of the answer but because he seemed to find it curious that she knew, "I—it hit one of the trees when it chased me earlier." She gestured to the forest past the top of the hill, "It didn't leave any burn marks so it was obviously set to stun, and the blaster," she gestured now to the twisted crisp remains, "looks like a modified SoroSuub ELG-3A. The barrel is too small to have a larger focusing ring so it can't be high powered."

The man was looking at her with raised eyebrows now. Finally he spoke saying, "Miss Tonderra, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me while we make a report about this rogue droid. If it chased you into the woods and found you again when you came out, someone has seriously messed with its programming.

Aldé gave an internal sigh as she nodded. Placing a hand on her speeder she looked at the man with an eyebrow raised, asking if she should ride it or not.

He answered with a shake of his head. "If you don't mind, one of the trainees injured her ankle and won't be able to walk back. We were going to have to call park services to get her transported anyway. Is it left or right accelerator?"

"Right."

He grinned now, the expression making him look much more agreeable. "Perfect. Rabé can fly herself back to the park entrance."

Aldé smiled as well now. If her bike was being co-opted by the security training team, her supervisor couldn't complain.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Aldé drummed her fingers impatiently against her thigh as she waited for the man (whose name she had learned was Captain Panaka) finished filing her report. She ha dbeen able to explain what happened fairly quickly but for some reason Panaka had asked her to stick around while he finished up the report on the rogue droids. She wasn't exactly looking forward to that talk because she couldn't imagine what it could be about except a dressing down for being so stupid as to wander into their training session. But she was impatient anyway because just sitting here doing nothing was worse. She didn't like to be idle.

"Miss Tonderra," Captain Panaka spoke. Her fingers ceased their movements and she sprang to her feet. He gestured to his office and she entered quickly. She sat down in the chair she had vacated not long ago at the finish of her report.

"I'm sure you're wondering about why I asked you to stay behind."

She nodded and he continued speaking, "The group of trainees was one short and we have been unable to find a suitable individual to complete the group. I confess you I first considered you when I saw that you have much the same coloring of the other trainees, but it wasn't until you identified the weapon the droid held that I seriously thought about asking you to join us."

Her eyes widened. This was a _job interview_?

"Tell me. According to our records you trained at the Royal Academy of Alderaan, but your focus was on history and literature. How did you recognize the manufacturer and model of the blaster?"

"My brother," she answered abruptly, "he was in security. He liked to talk about weapons models. I listened." She gave an indistinct shrug.

Panaka tapped his fingers on the screen in front of him.

"Ah, yes. Your brother. Narem Tonderra—he worked security at the Orlon Plasma Refinery."

Aldé just nodded, eyes not meeting Panaka's.

"You lost your whole family then when the refinery was sabotaged?" It had been well publicized when the "accident" was actually revealed to be an act of sabotage. It had been one of the last nails in King Veruna's political coffin. When it was revealed he had business ties to the parties responsible for the destruction he had stopped fighting the impeachment proceedings and abdicated the next day. It seemed that even he had been appalled at the damage, which had not only destroyed the refinery but also most of the town around it. There had been few survivors from that small town whose economy revolved around the refinery.

She nodded again.

"And that was around the same time you graduated?" Panaka didn't apologize for bringing up such horrible memories.

"I had graduated only a week before. My family couldn't come to the graduation. I had already packed up all my belongings and was ready to move—most my stuff I sent along ahead on a commercial cargo transport. But I had to stay a few more days on Alderaan to take my exit certifications—I know Naboo requires them even if Alderaan doesn't. After that, the earliest ticket I could get on a passenger ship to Naboo was the day after the explosion. I got home to find the whole town destroyed." Her face had gone pale as she talked and her voice got lower, but she didn't cry.

Panaka's expression finally melted and his sympathy showed through. "I'm sorry."

Aldé bowed her head a little and took a deep breath. She looked back up at him, "I filed for emancipation the next day. The judge granted it immediately."

Panaka nodded in understanding but abruptly shifted topics, "How good is your aim?"

She blinked, "Uh, pretty good, I think. I was on the school beep ball team. Our team won the regional tournament though we came in third in the planetary competition."

Panaka looked like he wanted to laugh, "Well, beep ball does require accuracy and good aim, but not quite the same skill set for using a blaster. Have you used a blaster before?"

"My brother insisted I learn, but I didn't have much time after I went to Alderaan. I haven't used one in a while."

"Very well. If you don't mind we can test your skills—with the blaster and your physical fitness and then I will take the results to the…one who has the final say."

Aldé looked surprised at that but didn't comment. "That will be fine," was all she answered with.

~~oo~~

A few hours later Aldé collapsed in exhaustion onto the bed of the small apartment she lived in. Panaka hadn't been kidding when he'd said they would test her physical fitness. She had been run ragged. An indoor obstacle course had been first, followed by a timed five kilometer run. Then they had asked her to lift weights. They'd mostly been interested in her arm strength with the weights, but by the time that was done all of her muscles were protesting.

Only _after_ the physical tests had they taken her to a practice range where she could show her prowess with various weapons. She had been asked to use the ELG-3A like the droid had used, a Merr Sonn Model 44 blaster pistol, and a larger BlasTech E-11 rifle. They had been impressed with how accurate her shots were with the 44, especially since its shorter barrel often made shooting a moving target more difficult. But her scores with the E-11 had been abysmally low.

She sighed. She had done her best—especially considering she'd had no time to prepare. If she got the job (which, come to think of it, Panaka had never fully explained) then she would be happy, but if she didn't she at least knew she still had her park services work. Her supervisor had left a message on her comm praising her for helping the injured security trainee. Apparently, Panaka hadn't told him that she had forgotten the instructions to not be in the falls area.

She groaned and pulled herself up off the bed. She needed to eat before she went to sleep or she wouldn't sleep well. Moving to the food prep area of the small living space, she wondered, not for the first time, why appearance would be the first thing Panaka was looking for in his security trainees.

~~00~~

The next morning Aldé woke up early to the beeping of her comm unit. She flipped it on and was greeted by an annoyingly chipper voice.

"Is this the residence of Aldé Tonderra?"

"Yes." Aldé replied with a yawn.

"This is the office of Theed Palace Security. Captain Panaka would like to meet with you this morning. Would you be available for a meeting at nine?"

"That would be fine." Aldé said, wondering if she should call her supervisor or go to work and leave early to make it. The next words out of the secretary's mouth answered that question.

"Very good, Miss Tonderra, your current employer will be notified of your absence today."

"Where should I go to?"

"You want to report to the Theed Palace Central Security Office. Droid guides in the palace can show you the way."

"Thank you."

When the secretary had disconnected Aldé sighed. She had no idea what kind of clothing would be appropriate for this meeting.

~~oo~~

Aldé had finally decided on simple blue dress that could pass for either casual or formal. She took a public hover bus to the palace and exited with an early morning tourist group. While the group of visitors assailed the nearest guide droid with questions, she turned down an ornate hallway that had a discreet sign with the galactic symbol for security on it.

The office was easy to find and she arrived a few minutes early. She presented herself to the reception droid, showing her identification. A moment later Captain Panaka appeared looking pleased at her punctuality.

"Thank you for coming. Please, let's go to the back conference room."

They came to the room and Panaka entered, but Aldé hesitated on the threshold because she saw the room occupied by six other people. She entered and sat down warily looking at the figures in flame colored hooded dresses.

"Aldé Tonderra, thank you for coming."

Aldé jerked in surprise as the voice came from, not Panaka, but one of the hooded figures. The woman at the end of the table stood and removed her hood so her face could be seen clearly.

"Captain Panaka has recommended you and has provided me with your records. After much consideration, I would like to invite you to become one of my handmaidens."

Aldé was frozen in incomprehension for a breath but then her eyes widened as she put the pieces together. She jumped to her feet and hastily bowed to the figure. "My queen—I would be honored to be counted among your handmaidens."

The woman smiled and said, "Please, sit. I am glad you have accepted. We have been searching for a sixth handmaiden for weeks now since a previous applicant was unable to meet the physical requirements."

"Aldé," Panaka's voice drew her attention to the other side of the room. He had a slight scowl on his face but he spoke in a normal tone, "you will be under strict confidentiality guidelines and you will have to agree that you will never speak for the queen, the government or the palace staff except by express permission of the queen. You must also be aware that the confidentiality clauses will extend beyond the term of your employ."

Aldé nodded immediately—she knew as well as anybody that even during Veruna's trial his footmen had been excused from testimony by those confidentiality agreements.

He handed over the flimies and she added her signature to all of them.

"Very well then. Aldé, we welcome you to the Queen's security staff. Padmé, I will leave you to introductions. When you are finished please have Aldé escorted to the palace wardrobe designers for her fittings and then to the handmaidens' wing so she may see her new accommodations." Panaka left abruptly.

Aldé looked around her tentatively as the rest of the women removed their hoods. They were all smiling at her. She returned it weakly. None of them seemed to want to speak first so Aldé took the plunge. "Captain Panaka doesn't seem as happy about me being here as he was at the prospect yesterday."

Padmé grinned widely, "He likes you well enough or he wouldn't have recommended you, but I think he expected me to talk to you a bit more before making my decision. But from your records I can see that you are highly independent and adaptable. You'll do well here I think. I don't like to dwell on my decisions for to long and I didn't see how a longer interview with you would change my first inclination."

Aldé looked perplexed at this but after a moment she smiled, "Thank you."

"I am Padmé if I am not in the royal costume, Amidala in the attire. These are your fellow handmaidens," she pointed to each in turn as she introduced them, "Sabé, Rabé, Yané, Eirtaé, and Saché." Each waved as she was introduced.

"I'm glad you were in the area yesterday," Rabé said, "Using your speeder bike saved a lot of time getting me back to the palace."

"Oh! Is your ankle alright then?" Aldé asked.

Rabé nodded.

After that their conversation fell into a natural pattern—all of them (including Padmé) asking and answering questions and getting to know her better and she them. Aldé grew more comfortable as they continued and realized that maybe her situation right now wasn't as bad as she had thought it to be.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The corridors were well lit though there was no one about this time of night. The dignitaries, assorted service and security personnel and political hangers on that normally crowded the halls of the senate were gone. It was well into the night and the only movement at this time was usually staff cleaning droids.

The stillness of the upper office levels of the building was broken by the tall figure of former Master Jedi Yan Dooku. Since he had left the Order, and indeed before that point even, he had spoken to Senator Palpatine, but they had yet to have a face to face meeting. The Senator had asked him to come to his office tonight to discuss more plans for ensuring a safe future for the Republic—or rather her people given that neither of them believed that the current structure of the government would last long.

He knocked once and entered by invitation. Sitting at an opulent desk was the Senator of the Naboo system. He was tapping on his datapad and ignored Dooku for a moment.

When the Senator finally acknowledged his presence he bowed. Through their discussions he had been pleased to find a like-minded individual—and was anticipating this night cementing their alliance.

"We both are aware of the corruption and infighting that plague the senate and the republic," Palpatine started with out any other greeting, "But I am not content to simply remove myself from it, nor do I believe I can affect much by means of my position in the senate. We need a radical shift in power and a cause that will divide these selfish old men and force them into action. And for that, I need you my friend. I need your strength and experience as we do what is best for our people."

Dooku nodded, almost eager, it was a vision he shared with the senator. "How do you plan such a shift in power?"

A truly unsettling smile crossed Palpatine's features. "I have begun...whispering in the ears of members of the Trade Federation. It is not difficult to entice them to fall prey to their own greed. Already, they are making known their discontent at the Chancellor's ill-timed introduction of new taxes on the trade routes. They will soon overstep their bounds and will lead an assault on a peaceful Republic planet. That will force the senate to take action."

It was an audacious plan, but one that he could see working.

"And what is my place?" He asked.

"You must be in the background of all of this, my friend. It has come to my attention, that you are not the only member of your order that senses a coming change in the galaxy—a _necessary_ change as we both agree. It seems Master Sifo Dyas has gone so far as to commission an army for the Republic."

Dooku raised an eyebrow, he knew Sifo Dyas well.

"The Jedi would have no idea how to handle such an army, and the general...unease of the population with the powers the Jedi hold would make it unwise for them to do so. You must approach your friend and convince him to turn the project over to you. And _we_ must make plans for the future use of the army."

Dooku nodded. The Jedi were not the ones he would put in charge of an army. They were fighters if need be, but most Knights were too used to working alone or in small groups to effectively direct legions.

"I cede to your knowledge of your friend for how best to persuade him. Please though, I ask you to keep me apprised of your status."

"Of course," Dooku said. He paused for a moment and then spoke, "And this army, who would they fight against?" He hoped it would not be used in assault upon citizens themselves, though there was no way to avoid collateral damage in any military engagement. His many missions for the Jedi had cemented the idea that there was no such thing as limiting damage when it came to conflict, much less war.

Palpatine waved a hand, "The Trade Federation has droid factories on numerous planets, Geonosis being the largest production facility. Other corporate interests will follow as well as some of the outlying planets. They will form a movement that I can only hope will allow be able to present a united front that will make their interests and the interests of their people know to the Republic."

Dooku blinked. Palpatine's words were distinctly at odds with his stated plan. He narrowed his eyes slightly, "Yet you don't mean for the Republic to stand. You are engineering two sides of a war for the purpose of completely destabilizing the government."

It was an extreme idea. Completely radical and dangerous, not to mention something that the Jedi would surely see through. He said as much to the Senator.

Palpatine sighed, "You are correct of course. The Jedi would never allow such a thing. But how to hide it from them? I do not wish to malign your former compatriots, but many of them, I fear, have grown complacent just as my fellow senators have. They have recently been lauded for their actions at Dorvalla, but the Nebula Front's assassination attempt on the Chancellor himself should have brought more attention to the plight of our people. They are getting desperate—no longer content with peaceful demonstrations.

"I fear that unless we subtly direct the course of the response that the Republic will crumble and nothing will replace it. That is something we cannot have, my friend. We must ensure a stable government rises in place of the Republic, we cannot just wantonly destroy. That will benefit nobody."

They were both silent for a moment. Dooku absorbed in his thoughts, unaware of the Senator's scrutinizing gaze.

The Senator was of course, right. The Jedi would not allow anything to happen to the Republic, but both himself and the Senator were clear-minded enough to see the Republic could not possibly continue in the manner it had enjoyed for millennia. And they must also ensure they could control the outcome. Revolutions could be unpredictable at best, and completely self defeating at worst. Often rulers arose that were no better, or were even worse, than the preceding governments.

The worst possible scenario though was a divided, leaderless galaxy at the end. He'd seen it before on a mission years ago. A terrible war had broken out on a mid-rim planet, but when it was over the people were too divided, and too broken, to create a government capable of leading them. Without the structure and guidance of a government more people had died the winter after the war than died in the war itself. By the time the Jedi had been asked to intervene millions were dead, vicious self-styled war lords herded people in their territories like cattle, and yet in other places, roving bands of nomads terrorized the weak and starving populations left in the burnt-out cities.

He realized the Senator would have to be far-seeing indeed in order to orchestrate this.

"You must have the patience of a saint and the foresight of a Jedi to coordinate such a complex plan, I hope you are equal to your ambitions." Dooku said warningly.

Palpatine looked surprised, "But I could never do it alone, that is why I need your help, friend. You are, of course, not the only individual I have contacted. But it is very difficult to approach anyone directly on a topic such as this."

"Understandably," Dooku murmured. They were planning treason. They would probably be remembered as deserters and betrayers if they failed, and even if they succeeded there would be many who would revile them as conspirators and deceivers.

"I have found only a handful of people I am willing to trust with this plan. Rebels and malcontents are a credit a crate, but most are slovenly idiots who would not be able to help themselves from acting rashly. They have their uses, but cannot be allowed to know the full import of their actions or our ultimate goals."

Dooku nodded, though inwardly he understood from this that he himself did not have the full plan at this point either. The Senator was still testing his loyalty.

"Indulge my curiosity, Senator, how many know the full plan?"

Palpatine was startled for a moment, and then gave a low laugh, "Just myself. I have one other to whom I have disclosed as much as I have to you, but only I know the full details."

Dooku found himself mildly surprised at and interested in this third conspirator.

Palpatine sensed his curiosity and answered the unasked question, "A Zabrak who I have known for some years. I had a hand in his education, but he is still fairly young even now. He is currently fulfilling a portion of our plan elsewhere, but I shall have to introduce you at some point."

Dooku nodded, accepting he would not be told any more at this point. It was dangerous enough discussing even between the two of them, especially in the senate building of all places.

"As you said, my current mission, is to ensure our control of the army Sifo Dyas has commissioned." Dooku redirected the subject back to his first role. "Do you have any more information at this point?"

Palpatine smiled, seeming satisfied with Dooku's cooperation. "He was reported in the vicinity of Kamino."

"A clone army," Dooku nodded. In his mind though he immediately began planning how to confront his long-time friend and how to keep all of this hidden from the Jedi.

"Yes," Palpatine spoke, "I was loathe to involve the general public in this sort of strife, I am heartened by your former colleague's ingeunity."

Sifo Dyas had always been a rather mysterious presence on the Council but had not shown the hostility some of the other Masters did for Dooku. Of course, they had trained together as Padawans, but other classmates had shunned Dooku, rather had found his views interesting, even if he did not agree with them.

The beep of a communicator interrupted Dooku's thoughts, sending his heart pounding. He was more anxious about these plans than he had realized. He pulled gently on the Force to help stabilize his mood.

"I do apologize," Palpatine said, glancing to the display to see who was calling at this late an hour, "it seems I have kept us later than I anticipated and my wife is wondering where I am."

"It is I who must apologize," Dooku spoke, surprise coloring his tone, "I had not realized you were married."

The Senator gave a small smile, "She does not relish a public life, nor enjoy the political arena. She is a teacher, and her temperament is well suited to that calling."

"Then I will detain you no longer, I will contact you when I have news." Dooku rose, bowing briefly and exited the office.

He strode swiftly down the corridors, disregarding the presence of the night security as he left the senate building. His mind was alight with half-formed plans to convince Sifo Dyas to tell him more about the army. He also was convinced he needed to keep this as far from the eyes of the Jedi as possible. He didn't want any attention on what he was doing, so he would have to continue in his role as Count of Serenno—which of course required his regular presence on Coruscant.

He climbed into his speeder and started in the direction of the Serenno Consulate. Kamino was known to the Jedi, but to the galaxy at large it was not. It was an isolated system, out near the Rishi Maze. It would require a ship with more powerful engines than the starliners that regularly traversed the mid-rim planets and occasionally some of the outer-rim planets like Serenno. It was far off the trade routes as well—the Kaminoians were notoriously exclusive.

He had some contacts that would help him find suitable transportation. He could easily buy himself a ship that could make the trip, but that would attract too much attention. And he would have to fake the flight plan and nav records. Child's play to a Jedi.

But that still left the question of how to keep Kamino off the Jedi radar.

He changed his direction back to wards the Jedi Temple as a plan started to form in his head.

He had lived there all his life and knew the schedules of the security posts and grounds crew. He was not foolish enough to believe the Jedi would have left his ident in any of the unmanned entrances, so he would have to sneak through a public entrance.

Again, child's play. In fact, the children—the Padawans—would regularly sneak in and out of the temple at night. It was a right of passage. The Masters and Knights all knew it happened and if caught, you would face punishment, but it was possible to enter unnoticed if you had enough experience. And Dooku was well beyond being an overexcited adolescent doing it for the thrill and bragging rights.

Tonight he was going to break into the Jedi Temple and wipe Kamino from the archive's records.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Only a few days into training Aldé had realized that being a handmaiden to the queen would be unlike any other job or duty she had ever had. There was training in applying the royal mask, and properly caring for and attending the queen; as well as classes in the history of Naboo, galactic law, public etiquette, languages and more; not to mention the strenuous physical training which included indoor obstacle courses, outdoor exercises like the one she had interrupted, speeder and piloting classes, marksmanship courses, and first aid.

Aldé had at first been worried about sharing a room again, wondering if she would be able to get along with her roommate. She had been assigned a room with Yané—the only other handmaiden older than Aldé's own sixteen years. Yané had just turned seventeen. The rest of the girls were fourteen—the same age as the queen—or fifteen.

The six handmaidens shared a wing off of the queen's suite of rooms with a connecting door to allow them instant access to the queen. Each night one of them was assigned to attend the queen—help her should she need something in the night or to call for security or med staff if ever the need arose. Aldé had her first night on guard only a week after she started training. It had been a challenge to just stay awake the whole night given how tired she was running around all day. Luckily she had been able to sleep the next day while the others had morning training. When you were assigned night duty, you didn't get a nap before, but the day after you were not expected to attend training until mid-afternoon.

One night a week with no sleep at all was exhausting, even without taking the rigorous schedule into account. A few weeks in Aldé found herself adjusting to the schedule, it reminded her of being back at the royal academy with all the classes, clubs and other activities—except a lot more intense.

But she was getting used to it and getting to know the others a lot better. She had wondered if she would be able to fit in, given that the others had begun bonding before she had joined them, but there had been refreshingly few problems.

Yané had grown up in Theed and had been a part of the youth legislature before she had decided she did not want to be a politician. She had been approached by a former instructor after she had returned to her parents when the new queen had been elected.

Sabé had a similar story, but had been a classmate of the queen and had known her the longest, though they had not been particularly close until Sabé had been asked to be a handmaiden.

Eirtaé had been found by one of the queen's domestic advisers while on vacation just a few weeks ago. The girl had impressed him with her athletics when she had won a local footrace—placing before many of the boys in her age group.

Saché was the youngest daughter of an upper class family. The queen had noticed her and befriended her without being recognized during one of the celebrations following the election. The girl had been surprised but eager, though her parents were not as accepting of her career as one might think—they had wanted their daughter to be in the spotlight, rather than in the background behind the queen.

Rabé had been recommended by the palace staff. The girl had finished her schooling early and had applied for a position with the palace as a tour guide and curator. One of the hiring managers had noticed her quick mind and resemblance to the queen.

It had surprised Aldé when she realized that all of their stories were similar. She had thought her own tale of joining the handmaidens was unique—but it was not—simply a variation on the same theme. All the girls had been found by unusual means and had not applied for the position in any traditional manner. It made sense though when she thought about it—asking for applications for such a sensitive position was just asking for trouble.

Sometimes all of them would accompany the queen—usually to public audiences or official receptions—and sometimes only a few of them would accompany the queen—to meetings or smaller functions.

Aldé enjoyed her part in the smaller meetings most. Her training at the Royal Academy of Alderaan had prepared her well for sitting in the political meetings and conferences, and best of all, Padmé would often ask for their input and impressions afterwords.

Six weeks into it she had been snagged on her way to a session on the obstacle course by Captain Panaka. "Aldé, I would like you to come with me. There is something I need to speak with you about."

She nodded and turned to follow him—breaking away from Yané who had been walking with her.

She followed him in silence to one of the security briefing offices. She found Sabé was already there and looked at her curiously when she walked in. Aldé gave a brief shrug and sat where Panaka indicated. He sat on the other side of the table and regarded them both briefly before starting to speak.

"I have asked you here to offer you both an opportunity. It is not compulsory to do this, but both of you have been selected for a special duty. We are in a unique position with such a young monarch—Veruna's footmen were all young men—with fitness required of the job, while the king himself was older and in less youthful health. We intend to take the queen's security one step further than was possible previously, by providing a body double. Obviously you have noticed that each handmaiden, besides being physically capable and smart, resembles the queen herself. The two of you have distinguished yourselves as the best candidates to impersonate the queen, should the need arise."

Aldé's eyebrows rose, she could see the advantages of such a system. It would be effective, though could be potentially dangerous.

Panaka seemed to read her thoughts as he continued, "This position is, of course, dangerous. We would only intend to use it should the need arise in some sort of crisis. You would need to be able to switch places with the queen at a moments' notice. The queen would then be hidden among her handmaidens and the attention would be drawn to you.

"Sabé, you have known the queen the longest and have the advantage of training in the youth legislature. You have an excellent memory for names and dates. You would have an advantage in a situation where someone might know the queen personally.

"Aldé, you have the closest physical resemblance to the queen and the sharpest political mind. You would catch any nuanced hints the queen might proffer in a situation and be able to speak convincingly on a subject with little or no prompting. You would have the advantage in a situation where the queen would need to make a response of some sort and overt hesitation or consultation would be too noticeable and dangerous.

"Now, I would like both of you to consider the position. Understand, it is not required and if you do not feel you could adequately perform such a duty there will be no repercussions from refusing. You are not to tell your fellow handmaidens about this. They are not to know, for the queen's and their own, protection. I would have even preferred asking this of the two of you separately so neither would know about the other, but the queen wanted you to be able to consult each other if you felt the need.

"You are both excused from training for the rest of the day. In the morning, I want an answer."

Sabé and Aldé both stood, briefly bowed their heads to the chief of security and left.

They were both silent as they walked slowly to the handmaidens chambers.

Aldé knew that Yané had been there when Panaka had asked her to join him. But she knew that Yané would not pry. Two weeks previously Yané and Eirtaé had been taken out of training by Panaka, for something she assumed might be similar—not exactly the same, a body double, but for some other specialized duty. They periodically disappeared together with the Captain or one of his subordinates and returned hours later looking worn. No one had pried into that, they all took the security of the queen seriously, and knew that they would not all know everything.

She wondered if Saché and Rabé would be pulled aside for anything special. Saché had shown herself to be surprisingly sufficient with medical aid and Aldé wondered briefly if they might take advantage of that skill.

"Aldé, would you mind taking a walk with me?" Sabé's voice cut into her musings.

"Certainly."

They took a side hallway and exited the palace near the cliffs. As they walked along the rocky path, Sabé started speaking, "I don't know if I could pull it off—acting like Padmé. She has such a level head, and you know I'm so flighty."

Aldé let out a small laugh, "Well, I'm far from level-headed myself—you know I've got a mouth and a temper."

"True, but you've got her political voice down. And you know she always listens to your opinion after you have had a sit in the meetings with the advisers."

Aldé screwed up her face as she thought of something.

"What?" Sabé said.

"All that makeup on my face. The only way we could do this is if we dress in the royal wardrobe and put on the royal mask."

Sabé laughed, "I guess now we know why they had us practice on each other. And why Panaka was so insistent we get the eye makeup right on my eyes. You're lucky you have the same shape eyes as Padmé."

They continued walking for a time, discussing other aspects until they realized it was nearly dinner time.

"Are you going to do it?" Aldé asked as they approached the others.

"Yes," Sabé murmured softly, "You?"

Aldé gave a small shrug indicating she wasn't sure yet, and then they joined the other four handmaidens for dinner.

That night was Aldé's overnight guard duty. And as she sat in the outer room of the queen's sleepchamber, she thought long and hard about the position.

She couldn't imagine a situation where such a decoy would be necessary—Naboo was peaceful. They had no standing army and the last war they had participated in they had not even provided front-line personnel, but had instead filled support positions, pilots, medics, even camp cooks. Alderaan had been much the same. There were always those who were not happy with the system and Veruna's actions had provided for more unrest than was usual, but the Theed security forces had that well in hand. She could of course think of situations where a decoy might be needed—travelling to a planet that was not a part of the Republic, a hostage situation, a meeting with an untrustworthy party, testing the waters for a new alliance, or even a charged political battle. But she couldn't see how such things might apply to the current status of the monarchy.

But that was all moot—the question was whether she would be willing to take on the duty should it be deemed necessary, not if she could say when it should be used.

Could she act the part of the queen?

She thought back to years with her brother—bossing him around and being in charge even though he was older. She imagined her father and the training he had instilled in her from a young age to act always with honor and dignity. She thought back to Alderaan and the political activities she had participated in, the accolades she had won as part of the school debates.

She could act the part of a queen, but could she act the part of Queen Amidala?

As she pondered, she stiffened instantly as she heard rustling from the queen's room.

She moved swiftly to the doorway, all thought of her own quandary gone as she spoke softly, "My lady, may I assist you?"

She heard Padmé sigh. She knew it was disorienting to the young woman to be waited on in such a way. Padmé had accepted it all gracefully, but all of the handmaidens knew she preferred not to be fussed over.

"No thank you Aldé, I am simply thirsty." Padmé emerged from the room into the low light of the outer chamber.

Aldé knew better than to offer to get a glass for the queen, but instead shadowed her to the sink in the small dining room attached to the suite. She watched silently as Padmé fetched herself a cup and turned on the faucet.

The queen briefly stuck her fingers in the water's flow, to test the temperature. Before filling her cup and drinking.

"Aldé, I wanted to say, I wish all of this were not necessary, but I do appreciate what you and the others do."

Aldé gave her a slight bow and said with a smile, "It is our pleasure. And we appreciate the respect, kindness and friendship you show all of us. I am glad for the situation, else we would not have known each other well."

Padmé smiled briefly acknowledging her words. "Thank you, I will return to sleep now."

Aldé followed her back and stationed herself once again in the outer chamber. She knew the queen must be curious about her decision, but the younger woman had not even alluded to the decision.

It reminded her of her mother, who had always been gentle and respectful when she had a large decision to make, who had not badgered her with her own curiosity.

And it gave her the push she needed. She _would_ do this.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Bright and early the next morning, as soon as Eirtaé had arrived to help the queen dress and prepare for the day, Aldé strode purposefully to the security offices. Sabé was already there in Panaka's office.

"Thank you, ladies, for arriving so early. What is your decision?" Panaka wasted no time with more pleasantries.

"I accept the position." Sabé said resolutely, no trace of the worries she had confided in Aldé previous afternoon. Aldé wondered how long she had lain awake pondering in the night. For once Aldé was grateful for the night duty—she wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway with the decision preying on her, and at least this way she would be able to get her rest afterwords.

"As do I." Aldé said just as confidently.

Panaka looked pleased—a big stretch for him. He usually had such a stoic face.

"Very well, Aldé you will take your rest, as I know you were up all night. However, you are expected to join the queen at noon so she may school you on any mannerisms or details you will need to know. Sabé, you will join the queen for the same this morning. This evening, there is a gala at the palace. The governors of the other planets in the system will be there, as well as the Senator. There will be a short speech and then dancing, followed by dinner. Aldé, you will switch places with the queen following the speech and then Sabé will take over during dinner. The handmaidens dress tonight will adequately cover your faces so none of the others will know the queen is among them. The queen and myself and one other will be watching to see who is more suited. Please, do not be worried, we simply want to ensure the queen's safety."

Both handmaidens shot each other a nervous look. They had not expected to be put to the test so soon, without much more training.

"Thank you both, you are dismissed."

"I'm headed off to rest," Aldé said softly, "Best of luck."

Sabé smiled wryly, "Thank you. You too."

Sleep was slow to come in the darkened room. The wide windows could turn opaque at the touch of a button to allow her to sleep undisturbed by the sunlight, but she tossed and turned uncomfortably as she imagined what the evening would bring.

When sleep finally came, her worries followed her into her dreams.

_She was back home, with her mother and father and brother. An old friend of her brother's was there and he laughed saying, "I always knew you were a royal pain, princess, I would love to see you rubbing elbows there."_

_She rolled her eyes at him and turned up her nose. He had never had much patience with politics or formal functions. In fact he was usually uncomfortable outside of anything but his dingy cargo ship. Not that she would call it dingy again, she had made that mistake before._

_Her mother smiled at her and embraced her, "I know you can do this. I know you will make us proud."_

_Her mother's face briefly faltered, "But please be safe."_

_Her father gazed shrewdly at her, except he didn't look like she remembered him or at all like he should in this dream—his features kept shifting, his hair from light brown to almost black, his eyes from brown to blue and back again. His skin morphed from a dark tanned hue to a more natural olive-toned complexion. He still stared at her in a way that nearly unsettled her. Then he spoke in a reverberating tone that she did not recognize, "My daughter, poised to rule."_

_She gasped at that, this wasn't like him at all. "Father!" she reprimanded sharply._

_His face gave way to a sheepish smile, and he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, and twirled her around like he used to do when she was a child, "Enjoy the dancing."_

She woke up startled by her alarm. She didn't usually dream and this one had been more than a bit odd. She shook the cobwebs from her mind and quickly dressed to meet the queen. She grabbed a few bites from the lunch laid out on the table in the handmaidens' suite as she passed through to the queen's chambers.

Sabé and Padmé were just standing from where they had been seated on a couch as she entered. Aldé bowed to the queen and smiled at Sabé.

"Thank you Sabé. Please don't worry too much about tonight."

"I will try my queen, thank you." Sabé exited to join the handmaidens for lunch.

"Let's go to the dining room," Padmé spoke, gesturing with one hand, "I believe the staff have set out a lunch for me. Please join me."

Aldé accepted the invitation and followed the queen. She smiled at the food laid out—light fare in preparation for a function in the evening.

After they had both eaten a little, Padmé turned her attention to Aldé. "Now, what questions do you have about impersonating me?"

Aldé sighed. There was so much that made up a person that it was impossible to think of everything and learn to imitate it in such a short time.

Padmé sensed her frustration with such a broad question and let out a small laugh, "I am sorry, this is probably nearly as nerve-wracking for me as it is for you."

Aldé nodded and then formed her first question, "How do you keep yourself from saying something utterly stupid or insulting? I...tend to not think before I talk sometimes. I know your opinion of many of the people that will be there tonight, how do you keep such a polite and welcoming tone for them?"

Padmé cocked her head and thought for a moment. All of the handmaidens had witnessed at least one of her frustrated rants against some of the politicians she'd had meetings with. But the queen never let those sentiments out in public and none of the people she privately scorned had any idea of her feelings for them.

"When I am dressed in the royal regalia, I often feel like I am playing a part—in a way I am—and so I perform. I pretend that I did not confront Governor Kelton about the trade tariffs he proposed last week; I will imagine I don't know that Emmal Stouvet is not a stuck up spoiled son of a minor king and instead pretend I enjoy his attentions."

"Is there anyone you act naturally with in any of these functions?" Aldé said.

Padmé shook her head, "Not really, lest I be too genuine with those I am fond of and tip my hand to the rest."

Aldé nodded in understanding.

"I already know how well you dance, but is there anything in particular that you do in any of the common dances? Any steps or dances that give you noticeable trouble or that you are conspicuously good at?"

Padmé grimaced, "I am _not_ graceful when I execute the Alderaanian Waltz, which is unfortunate because you will have to fake being _bad_ which is much more difficult than faking being good. Though, because you are a slight bit shorter than me, you will be in shoes that are taller than what you normally wear so maybe it will balance out."

Aldé smothered a giggle. She adored the Alderaanian Waltz and had attempted to teach her family the dance when she was home once. Her brother had been awkward and jerky, but he had managed not to trip. Her mother though—usually quite a good dancer—had given up after two hours. Her father, however, had surprised all of them by pulling it off with great aplomb. Her father had never been much for formal dancing, and his ease at performing the complicated steps had surprised even her mother.

Aldé turned her attention back to the queen, pushing away her memories of her family and of the dream she had had earlier.

She queried the queen on imitating her voice and manner of speech and practiced speaking from one of the speeches the queen had used a few days earlier. She had to adopt the slight differences in Padmé's dialect. She could imitate it well enough for a short time, but she hoped she would not have to do a lot of speaking.

They talked quite a bit more, Padmé even going so far as to show Aldé how to walk in the overflowing dresses she wore. The royal wardrobe attendants had probably been annoyed at having to produce three identical gowns for the evening. In return Aldé gave Padmé a crash course in being a handmaiden. Someone had forgotten to tell the queen the intricacies of attending a royal person. There were rules about where they had to stand at certain points and rules about how far they could be from the queen in a public setting, as well as rules on how to afford the queen some privacy with a guest, and tricks for subtly guiding an over enthusiastic guest away when the queen showed small signs. Luckily, Rabé was to serve the queen at the high table that evening so she wouldn't have to actually understand the subtle methods the handmaidens used to test her food at public events.

Sabé and Aldé prepared the queen for her speech and then set out their own gear in anticipation of switching places with the queen. They had set everything up in the queen's rest suite near the ballroom. It was an area designed for the queen to have a private moment if she needed or to fix something on her person. Sabé set out what the queen would need to quickly remove her makeup and don the uniform for the handmaidens that evening. The queen would be wearing her hair down tonight with only minimal ornamentation, making it easy for Sabé and Aldé to style their hair in the same manner and hide it under the hoods the handmaidens would wear.

With the queen fully dressed and ready, the three of them joined the other four handmaidens and formed a procession towards the ballroom. The murmur of the guests met their ears as they approached. Then one of the heralds tapped his staff to gain their attention and announced the queen, "Her Royal Highness, Queen Amidala."

Clapping accompanied their march through the doors and across the length of the room to the dais where a throne was positioned. The whole platform could be moved to allow for more space during the dancing. There would be a short respite after the dancing out on the portico, while the staff transformed the ballroom into a banquet hall.

The handmaidens fanned out from their two columns behind the queen until they created an arc around her. Yané and Rabé were on the outer edge and reached their position behind the throne first. They turned so they were facing the throne and held themselves in a bow. Saché and Eirtaé did the same a little closer to the throne and held themselves an a slightly lower bow. Finally, Sabé and Aldé positioned themselves to each side of the throne and bent themselves into an even lower bow as the queen turned to receive the respect of the guests. A rap with the herald's staff signaled a bow by the attendees. The queen returned the bow and sat down upon the throne.

As soon as she sat, the handmaidens straightened and melted backwards to form a single line behind the throne.

The queen started her speech—the typical welcome and thanks, highlighting particular guests and the gracious gifts that had been offered by some of the dignitaries.

She then continued to speak for some minutes about the current peaceful climate and the hope for continued goodwill.

Aldé only gave the speech half of her attention, she was nervously counting the seconds until it would be her own feet filling the queens shoes.

The crowd signaled the end of the speech with claps and cheers.

The queen rose. The handmaidens moved forward, splitting themselves on each side of the throne, even with her. She bowed and the guests bowed back to her. She then proceeded out of the room, the handmaidens falling in step behind her, again in two columns.

Behind them the herald announced a short break on the portico while they room was prepared for the dancing. The queen and her handmaidens reached the seclusion of the queen's rest suite. Yané, Rabé, Eirtaé, and Saché stationed themselves outside the door as Aldé and Sabé followed the queen in. Sabé immediately began helping the queen out of her clothes, as Aldé started to dress herself in the royal clothing.

She strapped the shoes on her feet, grateful that she had the slight bit of added height on them. Handmaiden's were not normally permitted to wear anything that might impede their speed and agility, but with the dress a little too long it becaming an important factor in assuring she would not trip.

When Padmé's makeup was cleaned off and she was safely in the attire of a handmaiden, both the queen and Sabé turned to help Aldé with applying the royal mask.

They were all dressed and ready in a matter of just a few minutes. Sabé murmured to the queen, "Follow my lead, my queen. When we return through the entrance of the ballroom, you and I will fan out to the sides and remain on each side of the door until the dancing ends. The others know their assignments in the ballroom.

Padmé nodded. There was a slight, awkward pause and then Padmé spoke in an amused voice, "Aldé, you must go first."

Aldé was glad the makeup covered the blush that suffused her cheeks. She did not speak but turned to exit the room. She took a deep breath and opened the door, Padmé and Sabé falling into step behind her.

She held her breath as the other four handmaidens followed. She was past the first obstacle—none of the others seemed to sense any difference.

She lead them through the corridor back to the ballroom. Upon their entrance, the herald rapped his staff again and announced her. The guests, trickling back in from the portico, clapped. She bowed to them as the handmaidens moved to their places. Sio Bibble, one of the senior advisers, approached. He bowed down to one knee. Aldé nearly forgot to offer him her hand to kiss, but when he arose she detected no suspicion.

"May I have the honor of the queen's first dance?" The queen always danced the first dance with a partner before the rest of the guests were permitted to join them. She nodded in ascent and poised herself to begin as the strains of the royal ballad reached her ears from the musicians stationed in one of the corners.

And they were off. Handmaidens were not permitted to dance at these types of functions and so Aldé had to fall back on her years in school for dancing in public, but even then she had never been the center of attention like this.

Part way through the dance, she found herself feeling that she did not need to think about being Padmé so much as think about how not to slip on her dress hem. She decided she couldn't worry in the moment too much about whether she gave herself away as an imposter, but just do it and find out late if she was as obvious as she felt.

When the piece came to a blessed end the crowd clapped. Aldé turned away from Sio Bibble and held herself erect in front and to the side of him. He executed a bow from the waist, that Aldé sensed more than saw because of their positions. The guests then bowed and she bowed in response. Then the music started up again. This time others moved onto the floor to enjoy the dancing.

Some stayed on the edges, exchanging greetings and conversation for the moment rather than moving with a partner to the floor.

The queen often greeted guests at moments like this, with two handmaidens shadowing along the walls and the other four at stationary posts. So Aldé moved away from the center and towards a small cluster.

She was unsure how to start a conversation but was glad when someone approached her first instead. Senator Palpatine, with a pretty red haired woman on his arm, spoke, "My Queen," he bowed.

"Senator," Aldé's heart began racing. This would be the true test. "Thank you for your attendance tonight. You honor us with your presence, it must not be easy, always traveling from Coruscant like this."

The Senator smiled, "The honor is all mine. I enjoy coming home. May I introduce my wife, Amne?"

The woman beside him disentangled herself from her husband and bowed to the queen.

Aldé returned the bow and spoke, "We are pleased you could join us."

"I do not often have the chance to accompany my husband to functions such as this," Amne spoke, a genuine smile crossing her lips, "I am pleased to be here."

"Your Royal Highness, may I have a dance?" The Senator asked.

"We would be honored," Aldé responded.

Amne stepped back immediately and smiled gently at her husband, "Save the Alderaanian Waltz for me."

He smiled and took Alde's hand.

The piece they danced to was a slow number, allowing for the partners to converse quietly if they wanted.

Palpatine apparently did want to converse, and asked a few polite questions before turning the conversation to more serious matters. He asked about the status of their negotiations with the Trade Federation for moving more plasma to relieve burden the harsh winter had placed on the outlying processing plants.

She had responded with what she knew the queen's answer would be, they had discussed that very subject with a few of the advisers earlier that week.

When Palpatine though continued to bring up political topics she gently spoke when she felt she could no longer adequately imitate the queen, "Senator, we would like to thank you for a very enjoyable dance, but we must greet others here. We understand we will be meeting you in the morning, may we pause these matters until then?"

"Of course, my queen," Palpatine bowed, and she bowed back, and then sought out some other company.

None of the other partners she danced with were as eager to converse as Palpatine, which made it easier to keep the facade of the queen up.

The dancing ended after a few hours, with the herald tapping his staff once again and asking guests to retire to the portico. Aldé led the handmaidens out of the ballroom and once again to the chamber to switch roles again.

Once inside with Padmé and Sabé she sighed in relief. She had done it. Padmé also seemed to sigh in relief that for the moment she was spared the nervousness brought on by playing her part.

Sabé on the other hand was so pale she nearly didn't need the makeup.

Padmé started to help Sabé dress as Aldé quickly stripped off the royal clothing and makeup. When she was once again comfortably in her handmaiden's clothing she assisted with the finishing touches on Sabe's makeup.

Again it was all complete a a matter of minutes and they exited the room, this time with Sabé in the lead. The procession entered the ballroom again to the herald's announcement and this time they followed the queen around the edge of the room to where her throne was set at the head table.

Sabé sat down and Padmé and Aldé stood back by the wall behind the queen. Rabé and Yané stood to either side of the throne, slightly behind it, and Saché and Eirtaé stood on either side of the entrance.

The guests at the high table included the governors and of course the senator. Palpatine was on the queen's right, beside him his wife.

The servers brought out the food and Rabé proceeded to serve the queen. The room's attention turned to the queen, waiting for her signal to begin. Sabé started to eat her salad and the entire room turne dtheir attention to the food.

As they ate Amne leaned slightly forward, her husband scooted himself backwards a slight bit to allow his wife better access to the queen. She asked a question that was lost in the general noise of the room to the handmaidens along the wall but Sabé seemed to handle it well enough. The Senator joined in on the conversation and Sabé shifted in her seat, speaking too low for Padmé or Aldé to hear. The Senator's face was turned towards the queen so Aldé could see his profile. A confused look crossed his face and he asked something else. Sabé responded, but the expression did not resolve itself.

A moment later Amne spoke again, drawing his attention to her, but it left Aldé with worry in the pit of her stomach.

Dinner progressed without any other problems and at the conclusion the queen rose, and the room responded. She bowed to them and they to her. Sabé then led the handmaidens out of the room.

Rather than return to the queen's resting chambers they instead crossed the palace to the queen's suite. Padmé and Aldé followed Sabé into the wardrobe and both Padmé and Sabé began undressing. Aldé helped Sabé remove the makeup as Padmé selected some sleepclothing, grateful she did not have to put the makeup back on. Sabé donned a handmaiden's dress again after she had removed the makeup and the three of them exited the wardrobe.

In the outer room Captain Panaka greeted the three of them.

"Alde, please come with me, I want a report. Sabé will follow once you return."

Aldé sighed, she should have expected that. She was exhausted, physically and mentally, by this point, but followed him obediently. Once to his office she recited everything that had happened, including the conversations she had had.

Finally, she returned to her dormitory and collapsed gratefully into bed.

The day was finally over.

00~~00

Amne was asleep, but the senator was wide awake, awaiting a call. He had not spoke to Count Dooku in more than a week, but he had received a communique earlier that day requesting a brief conference.

The comm beeped and he immediately answered it. Count Dooku greeted him briefly and then announced, "Jedi Master Sifo Dyas is dead. It is unfortunate that I was unable to convince him to give control over to me of the clone army project by less violent methods, but it is done. I have returned to Serenno."

A smile spread across Palpatine's face. He had not guessed Dooku would go so far as to kill his former colleague. Dooku might be a better player in this than Palpatine had first supposed.

"And how was the reception on Naboo?" Dooku asked, politely.

Palpatine frowned, "I do believe that at the dinner, they had switched the queen with a decoy. A clever ruse, but one I am now prepared for should they attempt it again. They ought to have trained her better—she forgot to use the royal we at dinner."

Dooku gave him an amused look. "I assume the young queen will figure in your plans somewhere."

"You assume correctly. I danced with her this evening, and she is politically astute, but still so full of youthful naivete. I shall use her optimism and hope to my advantage."


	8. Chapter 8

Most of this chapter was written by Ish (DarthIshtar) as a challenge a while ago. Had to tweak some bits to fit better with my style.

One of the most important parts of a decoy's duties was attending the daily security briefing. The most pertinent part to the decoys, and Handmaidens in general, was the Palace Security status check every morning. Any issues that had occurred within the Palace grounds and surrounding area was brought up-from the mundane (lost tourist, bag left behind), to the more serious (poaching in the royal forest, art theft from the gallery), to the downright weird (nudist on the south portico, Klatooine paddy frog that had somehow taken up residence and spawned in the central fountain). Sometimes these Palace security briefings included instructions to the handmaidens on policy changes to handle some eventuality should it happen again. The second part of the security briefing was the Planetary/System Security briefing. It included a full run-down of any matter of state that had escalated during the last day as well as new concerns that the Naboo Security Bureau felt that the Queen should hear personally. Neither of these things was too bad, but after all of that was discussed, they had to turn their attentions to other systems.

There were certain things that no amount of training could override. Try as she might, Aldé couldn't always summon the necessary enthusiasm to care that the Hutts were planning a goodwill tour of their colonies, no matter how close that tour took the gangsters to the Naboo system. When she had been on guard duty all night, it was even more difficult to pay attention to the daily schedule and she relied heavily on taking notes that were sometimes incomprehensible once she'd had a few hours of sleep. Luckily, the briefing was always first on the Queen's agenda, so she was only required to pay attention for an hour or so. The Queen's private briefings were also held in the foyer of her private apartments rather than the more public security briefing rooms, so Aldé could walk a short distance to her quarters before going to bed. Unluckily, the hour-long briefing always seemed interminable on those days.

Today was worse than usual. There had been a disturbance in the Palace overnight when Aldé had intercepted an intruder less than thirty meters from the Queen's chambers. The verdict was not yet in on what the man's intentions had been and no weapons, lethal or non-lethal had been on his person. The man had been strangely cooperative when Aldé called for reinforcements, but the fact that he had been in the same wing as the royal entourage at all was intolerable. Matters were made worse by the fact that a few visiting dignitaries from the other worlds of the Naboo system were in the Palace at the time; they could have been endangered by Palace Security's failure.

She had fully expected to be pulled aside for a private chewing-out before the meeting, but Panaka let her pass with the usual deferential nod as she passed. The matter didn't even come up until they had finished discussing an upcoming visit from a Trade Federation ambassador, the trade summit that would follow and the sudden abdication of Emmal Soulet's father. There was some question about the reasons for the king's retirement, but she saw a hint of Padme's sense of humor glint in the Queen's eyes when she proposed that Emmal was not politically savvy enough to engineer a coup. For now, they accepted the story that he was stepping down for health reasons.

The rest of the Queen's security advisors had been dismissed after that, but the Queen had not given either Aldé or Sabe permission to take their leave. When Panaka hesitated for a moment and shot a look in her direction, Aldé felt a pang of anxiety. Instead of giving herself permission to go on the defensive, she squared her shoulders and focused her attention.

"Aldé is to be commended," Panaka said at last.

It was bad manners to stare, so she kept her gaze forward, but the pang of anxiety turned into a nervous quiver of relief. Amidala dipped her chin towards the floor in agreement, but her expression was unreadable.

Aldé was at a loss for words at the moment, but that was often the best state to be in. No matter how many times she was asked for an opinion, she was first and foremost a handmaiden, a loyal servant to her Queen. She would not speak out of turn.

When neither of them offered an explanation, though, she spoke a single word: "Why?"

She saw that glint of mischief that reminded her of who was behind the mask of royal makeup. "We have been testing your effectiveness as decoys for some time now," Padme explained. "You have been aware of most of these instances, but we could not complete our evaluation if you succeeded under duress."

That might be an explanation for a few things in the past few weeks. She could remember minor disruptions in the Queen's itinerary. It wasn't unusual for things to go slightly awry, but they seemed to be happening more frequently. Afew weeks after the gala a low-ranking servant had spilled a glass of Alderaanian green wine down the front the Queen's red brocade day gown. A few days after that some tourists had wandered into a garden party the Queen had hosted for the Youth Legislature Program's senior course participants. Then during a short trip off-world, she had nearly been caught in a riot when protesters of the agreement that Naboo had signed had broken past security barriers. Though this last occurrence, Aldé reflected, probably hadn't been an engineered test-too many factors security couldn't control. As always, she had been conscious of the fact that her actions were watched carefully by the people who surrounded her, but she had not guessed that a few of them had been paying more attention to the handmaiden than the Queen she represented.

"And I am to be commended?" Aldé asked cautiously.

"You both are." The Queen's stiff diction had dropped away as it sometimes did in private settings and Padme's earnest, _young_ voice sounded odd coming from the painted lips. "You've both proven yourselves in ways that none of us expected."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," they both responded.

"I believe you are to be commended, Aldé, for your actions last night," Panaka added. "You showed quick thinking and relied wisely on your instincts."

Heat rose in her cheeks and she bowed her head to cover the blush. "Thank you, Captain."

Neither of them needed to know that she had called the Palace Guard on a slightly paranoid hunch. Most of the guardsmen would not look down on her for being overly cautious, but she didn't want to be the girl who cried ripclaw.

"The intruder wasn't a real threat, was he?" Sabe asked after another moment of silence.

"Officially, yes, he was," Panaka replied. "He was released this morning with a verbal warning and none of the members of the press corps discovered the incident. Unofficially, he is an old friend who accepted a challenge."

"Sabe, you acted appropriately," Padme commented. "You neutralized the threat and protected your queen."

Sabe glanced at her, clearly wondering why Aldé was being commended and she was being accused of a proportional response. It wasn't clear who was receiving the higher praise.

"Both of you chose a correct response," Padme continued. "Aldé chose the most characteristic response. If I had been in a similar situation, I think I would have chosen her course of action."

So it was a matter of what was the best choice, not the right choice.

"I want to ask both of you to serve as my decoy. You are capable, instinctive and attentive. You have both proven your loyalty and shown yourselves to be worthy of my trust over and over again." Padme glanced at Sabe for a moment, but looked away just as quickly. "I'd like Aldé to serve as my primary decoy and chief handmaiden."

The Queen had clearly been leading up to this announcement since they first started the conversation, but it was still enough of a shock that Aldé's stomach jolted. It was both an immense honor and an immense shock. When she dared to look in Sabe's direction, Padme's oldest friend looked disappointed, but she looked far from angry.

"I would be honored, Your Majesty."

In response to the formality, Padme's expression seemed to close off and she nodded gravely, her posture regal once more. "You may go," she announced. "I thank you for your service."

With equal formality, the two handmaidens rose to their feet and bowed. Sabe moved immediately to the door, an unusual move for her, and after a moment of thought, Aldé understood why. It was customary for the Queen's most trusted handmaiden to be the last to leave her presence. Sabe had never been named as such, but the other girls had deferred to her by an unspoken consent. She couldn't tell if the gesture was a display of respect for the Queen's wishes or Aldé's new position.

She expected Sabe to have turned left upon leaving the Queen's office, but the other girl had not yet gone to her quarters. Aldé drew up short, momentarily unsure what to do. Finally, she tilted her chin in the direction of the hallway that would take them to the handmaidens' common room.

"Walk with me, please."

The sitting room that formed the center of the handmaidens' wing was deserted at this time of day. It was not early enough in the day that any of them should still be in their quarters, but she knocked on each door to be sure. When no one answered, she made a quick circuit around the room to seal off the entrances so they would not be disturbed or overheard. That done, she turned back to the handmaiden who probably should have had her job.

"It should have been you," she blurted out.

To her relief, Sabe smiled, but the expression didn't erase the sadness from her eyes. "No," she responded. "The Queen is right. It would have been my great pleasure to serve as her chief handmaiden, but I am not here out of ambition and I don't believe you are."

She paused, but Aldé sensed that it was not necessary to agree verbally. Sabe took several deep breaths with her eyes closed and when she looked up again, the misery was gone from her eyes. It was replaced with a determination and she looked more like the Queen in that moment than she ever had before.

"We are both here because we want to serve the Queen's best interests. You do that by knowing her mind and her mannerisms. I do that by knowing that you are the better woman for the job." She tried her smile again and this time, it looked genuine. "I will not let this affect my duty to the Queen or my friendship with you," she declared in a tone that left no room for argument. "I expect no less from the chief handmaiden."

Even though Sabe was her junior, this was one of the times that Aldé found herself looking to the other handmaiden as if she were an older and wiser mentor. While the feelings of inadequacy didn't go away, Sabe's encouragement balanced them out with the feeling that maybe those feelings were unfounded.  
00  
Aldé's day-to-day routine barely changed following the Queen's decision. The Queen's decision had not been announced to the other handmaidens, but they were used to following Sabe's lead. When their temporary leader began looking to the newest member of their corps for guidance, they tacitly did the same.

In the past, there had been a rotation when certain meetings required only two or three attendants, but the chief handmaiden was now assigned to all of those meetings. In a more parliamentary government, she might have been labeled as the Queen's chief of staff, but she would most likely be seen as the top aide.

Less than two weeks after Aldé had taken over Sabé's responsibilities as chief handmaiden, she was awakened by a firm rapping on the door. She pulled on a dressing gown and answered the door to find Rabé at the door.

"The Queen requires your presence," she said simply before returning to her usual post outside the Queen's chambers.

It was just after 0200 and Rabé hadn't given further instructions, so she could only assume that formal dress was required. She took a few minutes to plait her hair, scrub the exhaustion from her face and find something less casual to wear. It was only a belted white gown that could be worn under one of their hooded robes, but it was more appropriate than a nightgown.

Padmé was in one of her official gowns, her hair was coiled in an elaborate bun and someone—probably Rabé—had taken care of the makeup, so she had to have come from some kind of official meeting. She was methodically removing the facepaint as Aldé entered and underneath the elegant mask of Naboo royalty, she looked as if she hadn't slept in days.

"Thank you for coming," she said in Padmé's voice. "Lieutenant, please leave us."

The guardsman bowed quickly and shut the door behind him. Aldé immediately went to her Queen and started unwinding the braids that formed the bun. Padmé always seemed to feel better when she wasn't keeping up appearances and letting her hair down was a simple way of helping.

Padmé sighed deeply and her hand dropped to her lap, halfway through the removal of the makeup. Aldé didn't comment, but set to work undoing the plaits and waited.

"The Trade Federation is troubling us again," Padmé said finally. "We thought that dealing with them for the plasma shipments would improve relations, but the Senate seems to have worked against us again."

"The Senate has been imposing taxes," Aldé recalled. "I don't think that's unreasonable."

Padme's hand clenched. "Nor do I. Nor do thousands of merchants. The Trade Federation believes that they should be above such things."

That wasn't surprising. The Federation was a corporate entity with enough sway to have its own seat in the Senate. Of course they would think of tax evasion as their right.

"What's troubling you, Your Majesty?" she asked bluntly.

"I've received word from Coruscant," Padmé explained after another sigh. "The Senate refused their appeal of the tax acts and in retaliation, the Senators from the Trade Federation chose to deal directly with Senator Palpatine."

That didn't sit right. No matter how much respect the Senator commanded, the Trade Federation was trying to circumvent the Queen's authority. Before Aldé could ask what exactly Senator Palpatine had done, Padmé returned to the task of removing her makeup and began speaking again.

"Two months from today, negotiations will end," she announced. "Either we will grant an exemption for our 'friends' in the Federation or they will declare war against us."

Aldé blurted out the first thing that came to mind: "Can they do that?"

Padmé's response was a whisper that Aldé wasn't sure she was meant to hear. "I don't know."

The initial panic of the Queen's statement wore off after a few seconds, but bile remained in the back of her throat. She swallowed several times before trying to continue the conversation.

"What would stop them from declaring war?"

"Our assurances that neither I nor a future ruler of Naboo would expect them to pay trade tariffs when doing business with the Trade Federation," she replied. "We will be discussing the alternatives until the last moment if necessary, so I wanted you to be warned."

It was better than being caught off-guard in a meeting, but not much. "And if it comes to war?"

"If it comes to war, they would generously accept a bribe just to evacuate their armies."

She wasn't as familiar with the Trade Federation as with their political allies, but she could remember holos of battle droids. Unlike sentient armies, the Trade Federation would have no qualms about manufacturing enough soldiers to replace those that fell in battle. The Naboo wouldn't be as lucky. They barely even had an organized military.

"Assurances," Aldé echoed. "They would expect you to enter a treaty with them?"

Padmé straightened abruptly and turned to give her a stern look. "They would expect it, but that is something I will not and cannot do."

Aldé hadn't intended to disagree with her, but it was good to see the Queen fighting back. "I know."

Padmé folded the washcloth neatly over a towel rack to the left of her vanity and reached for the clasp at the top of her gown. Aldé brushed her hands gently away and undid the closures herself. Padmé stood, but did not remove the gown. Instead, she turned and nodded formally. The exchange between confidants was over for now.

"That is all," she stated. "Good night, Aldé."

She wanted desperately to offer something more than a listening ear, but she could not force comfort on the Queen. She bowed as was customary and backed towards the door. "Good night, Your Majesty."

Her hand was on the door handle when the Queen spoke again, calling her name quietly. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

The Queen stood before her like some ancient goddess of justice. "I will sign no treaties," she said firmly. "Do not let me forget that."


End file.
